Scott Rudin closes book on The Reader

The long-running dispute over the release date of the film The Reader - as reported here the Hollywood producer Scott Rudin has attacked Harvey Weinstein for attempting to bully the director Stephen Daldry to get the film finished in time for the 2008 Oscars - has has taken another turn. According to the Los Angeles Times, Rudin, who won an Academy Award last year for No Country for Old Men, has now asked for his name to be removed from the movie's credits.

The two men have had a very contentious public feud over Weinstein's insistence that the film be ready for Oscar consideration. Rudin and Daldry had insisted they needed more time to finish The Reader, a drama set in post-war Germany starring Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes. After intense negotiations, they eventually agreed late last month that, in return for Weinstein putting up more money for round-the-clock editing, scoring sessions and optical work, Daldry would finish the film in time for a December release.

However, in recent days, negotiations appear to have broken down. Upset with Weinstein and worried that many of his long-standing talent relationships would be harmed, Rudin decided it would be better for him to separate himself from the project altogether. Daldry remains contractually obligated to complete the film, though it's uncertain of how he will do this without Rudin. "The whole project is in jeopardy," says a source, "and it looks like Weinstein can kiss goodbye to having it ready for the Oscars." ·